Bottlecap Pies
Josh and I have the best time making these little bottlecap pies magnets. 🙂
We use white earthen clay to form the tiny cherries and blueberries. We then hand-paint them and gently mold them into our bottlecap “pie shells”. Afterwards, we give them a coating of Sun and Moon diamond Glaze (the best out there) and then attach an ultra-strong Rare Earth magnet to the backs and voila! Kawaii pies. There’s something really therapeutic about making these pies: It’s both fun and relaxing.
You can find these cherry and blueberry pies in our Etsy shop, Early Perfection. (Our shop is currently a mishmash of all sorts of things. There’s no rhyme or reason, really. We make little things like these and then list them.)
We list these as 2 for $10, but O, if you’re reading this, you get our special “super cool person special”, which is 3 for $10. 😉
The Green Fairy
So Josh and I finally decided to try Absynthe:

It’s a liquor that was banned for almost 100 years due to its psychoactive properties (which are brought on by the wormwood that it contains) and a curiously high percentage of alcohol by volume. In other words, it’s a rich man’s moonshine. You’re supposed to drizzle cold water over a sugar cube into 2 oz. of absynthe until there’s a 1:1 ratio of each. We’d never tried it before so we decided to test out a small bottle- lest we find ourselves running naked through the streets after giving it a whirl.
After the solutions are mixed, the lime green colour gives way to a milky white- opaque sort of greenish concoction that’s quite pretty. We really didn’t have enough to judge accurately, but after we’d both had 2 oz., we were pretty laid back. It didn’t make us feel tipsy at all in an alcohol-induced way- but we were strangely subdued. (Josh took the gorgeous pic above with the Lensbaby.)
I’ve been MIA from my blog for quite some time. I haven’t had much to say, but really, I’ve been on a serious sabbatical since graduating in May! And this will be a short entry due to my raging migraine at the moment. (Nothing to do with the absynthe. It’s hormonal.)
I pictured my extended vacation (before graduating) and I saw myself doing a lot of lounging around, catching up on Netflix and just being a glorified beach bum (sans the beach + a dirty river instead). In fact, I’ve done very little of that. I’ve already opened up my first Etsy shop- selling anything and everything that Josh and I make art-wise. He makes clay African heads which are totally badass and also some pretty freaking awesome computer chip earrings and necklaces made from old motherboards. I’m so impressed with his creativity. 🙂 We’ve worked super hard on opening the shop, gathering inventory, and working on our packaging/branding. I won’t announce it here- not yet- because we’re not where I want it to be yet. We’ve only got 15 items listed, so we’re not quite ready to roll out a grand opening. Soon! Also, we’re working on our 2nd shop, which will be nothing like the first one. The first one is a catch-all for anything that strikes our fancy, but the 2nd one is deliberate and focused. So, we’ll be announcing both shops at once in the next few months. And, as much as I hate FB- with every drop in my body (and haven’t been there in 6 years)- I’ve decided to rejoin so that I can do my necessary PR and networking for our shops. Without social media, any business is dead in the water, and you have to PR the shit out of something if you want it to sell- it’s just that simple.
So- in several months, we’ll be linking our two shops here, and also on Facebook and Twitter and all of that good stuff. It won’t be a “fan” account at FB, it’ll be my own name and personal account, but it will double as a PR machine for new pieces we add here and there.
We’re pretty excited about this new direction we’re taking. I knew I wouldn’t be able to freaking lay around doing nothing! That doesn’t really exist in my world.
More on everything later. I currently have a rabid (invisible) critter gnawing at my head and the only thing that’ll help at this stage is to fall blissfully into unconsiousness. So, be well all. I miss everyone. x
Date Night
Josh and I popped into our favourite Mexican restaurant last night- a little place called La Loma on Eastern Blvd. which sells authentic Mexican tacos (and ice cold Coronas). Afterwards, we went to see Alice: Through the Looking Glass in 3D at the theater. It was pretty phenomenal. 🙂
Critics are panning it but I’m wagering that many of them are curmudgeony old farts who’ve long forgotten how to connect with their inner child. Josh and I were laughing and crying and fascinated by all of the pretty colours and CGI. (We clearly need to get out more.)
I’ve been out of school for just over 3 weeks now, and I’m happy to say that I haven’t done a darn thing. At all. I’ve downloaded around 7 different games and have a large stack of library books on the table that I’m positive I won’t read. I’ve discovered that I have a thing for acquisition as opposed to actually reading. That said, I think I’m still decompressing because I’m really quite the bookworm. Normally, I don’t like to go more than two days without accomplishing something or checking off goals on a list, so the fact that I’ve done nothing at all (and don’t care whatsoever) is a good sign! I’m learning to relax.
I did pick up this really awesome graduation present for myself though:

I absolutely love it. It’s a heavy duty copper and bronze homemade poppy necklace from an online shop called Mama Peacock. I think it’s a steal for $26. It sits heavy around the neck and is supported by a steel ball chain necklace. I especially love the stacked nickel and bronze ringlets wrapped around a solid steel pole that connects the ball chain to the pendant. This thing is just badass.
Josh and I have been up all night. After coming home from our date, I finished up some work for a client and he’s been gaming for most of the night. I could get used to this pace of life. No rushing, no demands, no deadlines- well…no serious ones.
Alas, as much as I love loafing around being a beach bum (sans the beach), I’m already working on a business model for a shop of my own. I won’t reveal it until it’s close to being finished, but I’m so excited with the direction I’m going in. I’ll be able to work from home and enjoy doing what I love to do. (And that’s all I’ll say about that.)
I’m off to heat up our leftovers. Tacos for breakfast!
My Final Day
And it’s called that because it’s my last day of my bachelor’s (in Psychology) program today, and I’m taking my last final exam in the morning. I can’t believe I’ve made it through! As I mentioned earlier, I’ll be graduating with honours and I’ve finally been fully inducted into the Society of Leadership and Success.
I’m so excited to be getting my life back. Everything feels SO GOOD right now and I’m beyond ecstatic. There’s a certain feeling a woman has after giving birth. It’s hard to explain, but it’s a feeling of indescribable triumph. As if she made it through death itself and escaped with her life.
Well that’s how I feel. 🙂
Anyway, I didn’t want to go on about all of that again. Just had to jot these feelings down while they’re here, because God knows that those dark clouds are just over the hill and they’ll be rolling in soon enough.
But today, it was beautiful. The sun was shining down and there was a golden-grey glow covering everything in sight, despite the cool rain falling down and splashing on me…
Lensbaby Composer/ f/ 5.6-Spring Mill Park

I Too am Boycotting Target
So Target has now begun allowing transgender individuals to enter into the restroom that they identify with by the gender of their choice, rather than biologically. Tough call, all the way around, and no matter what, somebody’s going to be offended. But what that means is that if a man begins to identify with feeling like a woman, he’ll be allowed to waltz right on into the women’s restroom- no questions asked. And vice versa for women.
I think a pretty simple solution would be to offer up a unisex bathroom for transgender individuals. That may seem course to some people, but heterosexual people have rights too. Heterosexual individuals have rights to feel safe in public restrooms. Not everybody is down with sharing a bathroom with the opposite sex, publicly.
I don’t have any issues with transgender individuals wanting special bathroom privileges. For them, they feel infringed upon being made to use the bathrooms that they’ve been forced to use all their lives. I can understand them not wanting to have to use the bathroom that they belong to “biologically”. And they have rights too. But that doesn’t mean that heterosexuals need to have their rights stripped away in the process!
This opens up the door for every sexual predator to have instant and immediate access to their victims. And that’s the problem I have with this whole thing. What about the rights of children? What about the rights of adolescents or tweens who are old enough to be in a bathroom without their parents, but not old (or strong) enough to fight off a sexual predator who has been given total access to the women’s restrooms? All they have to do is say that they identify with being a woman. Period. It’s that easy.
I watch a lot of crime shows, and have noticed a trend in many of these shows. For some reason, predators tend to prefer Target department stores, following women out to their cars and kidnapping them in broad daylight. Well now they will no longer have to. They can walk right into the women’s restrooms!
Way to go, Target.
Today I signed the boycott against Target stores, along with more than 375,000 other people, and am inviting any of you who read this to do the same.
You can sign the boycott against Target here.
Regression
This is what my screen looks like at 5:25 a.m.:

Yep. Good ole linear regression. It’s the fun stuff I get to do in between bivariate correlations and my final exam.
Josh had me on lockdown- snoring a heap of Zzzz’s into my face- as I lay there listening to the early morning birds, thinking about…you guessed it: multiple regression and p values. I’m so impressed with my professor, Dr. Kraha. She’s brilliant, to say the least. She breaks everything down into very easy-to-understand concepts. And I love her voice. She’s without a doubt the best professor I’ve ever had and truth be told, I’m going to miss her!
She’s helped bring my grade from a C in Statistics (coming in to her class), to a strong A. Even now, I still have an A in her class and really have 1 assignment and my final exam to go. If I do well in those areas, I’ll maintain my A.
I have a 30 slide Power Point presentation on Darwin (with voiceover) as well as a 15 page research paper on the levels of anger in prisoners and their causes + a 5 page paper in Psych. of Personality- all due 3 days from now.
Sigh. My life..
Back to the grind!
Three Weeks to Go
I can’t believe that there are only 3 short weeks to go before graduation. (Bachelor’s in Psychology.) My long road is almost over! At least for a while. Somehow, through my incredibly crazy life, I’ve managed to hold on to my grades: I’ll be graduating with honours. 🙂
Statistics for Behavioral Health- A
Marine Biology- A
Senior Seminar- A
Sensations and Perceptions (Psych.)- A
Psychology of Personality (Psych.)- B
I’m not happy about that B, but I can live with it. I am utterly exhausted. Five classes is no walk in the park and I’ve been doing this college thing for a long time now. I’m looking forward to picking up my camera again and MAKING ART. 🙂 I miss the mercurial, barefooted girl I used to be- wandering around abandoned farm houses picking branches and leaves out of my hair. And, if I have to reject one more null hypothesis I’m going to SCREAM. (Feel free to scream with me if you even know what that means!)
I’ll be taking a significant amount of time off after May- at least for the rest of the year. (And maybe all of 2017.) I need a long sabbatical. Two years ago, when I got my Associates degree in Behavioral Sciences, I wanted to take a year off and do the photography thing again; but- I ran right back into the fire because apparently, I like my challenges on full blast. But I think I’ve had just about enough of that for now, so I’m ready to kick off my shoes and break out my M42 lens adapter and the Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon and go for a long walk.
I think it’s been more than two years consecutively since I’ve had an academic break. It’s been so long I don’t remember and I think I hit burnout about 3 years ago. I’m so glad it’s almost over! The academic and the artist have been battling it out for years now, and I’m happy to say, the artist is winning.
Oil and Water
Pasta water simmering on the stove (hue shift, naturally) /Lensbaby Composer/ f/5.6

My beautiful Brianna, hanging out with my son’s pal, Vincent- Lensbaby Composer- f/5.6

Real Men Buy their Women Jalapeño Cheetos
Roses
Fine Dining
Chocolates
Sweet Nothings
Apparently, all it takes is a bag of Jalapeño Cheetos (and 3 cherry Blow Pops) to rock my world. 🙂
Carry on, WordPress!
Spring Mill in Black and White
Everything looks better in black and white. 🙂 (I know a few hundred people who’d agree.)
Spring Mill Park- Mitchell, Indiana – a warm day in February, on a day trip with Josh and Brianna- very little editing/Lensbaby Composer/ f/5.6










“Color Me In Cyanide & Cherries” – The Book
A very big congratz to a most amazing poetess! I wish you all the best with this endeavor, and many more to come, O. You’re one of the most talented writers I’ve ever known and I look forward to your future work as well. So excited for you. 🙂 x
Color me in Cyanide and Cherry
“Colour Me In Cyanide & Cherries” is my first book of poetry and it is finally ready to roam the world.
I am heavily pondering about what to write about it, accustomed to most of my readers already knowing what poems are in here, when and why were they written and so forth, so I am having trouble finding the way that could perfectly describe what the poems are about to a traveler, a roamer, a stranger.
Most of the poems from this blog are included in the book, some I skipped, some I added. The book is,for now, only available as a print book. I feel incredibly bad charging for anything(even more so when the available platforms mandate a hefty price in order for the writer to earn anything at all), especially for an e-book, since,like I mentioned, reading through this poetic haven of mine is like reading this book…
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Sailing the Savage Seas of Suck
I don’t remember a crazier time in my life than the past 6 months.
I’ve been dealing with a dying family member, the hospitalization of one of my children, an ongoing legal situation that has drawn on for more than 3 years, and 9 months of freezing cold “Arctic showers”, thanks to a rickety old water heater.
Believe me when I say, those cold showers are no joke. I’m not at liberty to expound on any of the (aforementioned) scenarios- save the water heater- but suffice to say, this year has already damn near killed me.
But, you know what they say, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger bitter as hell! 🙂
Just kidding.
(Sort of.)
But really, thankfully, we’ve finally been able to replace the water heater and are at long last taking scalding hot showers once again. The legal situation seems to be coming to an end, my child has made a miraculous recovery, and life seems to be slowly stabilizing once again, making me believe that it just might be doable. What’s made everything particularly challenging is the fact that I’ve battled through all of these things tackling 5 classes as well. The 5 classes alone are enough to take someone down, but combined with everything else, it’s really tested me to the fullest.
As long as I can come through it all with some compassion left in my heart and serenity in my soul- I really can’t ask for more than that. Understandably, I blew an exam in one of my Psych. classes- (unacceptable!)- but still have 4 strong A’s in my remaining 4 classes, so I’ll be working extra hard to repair my grade in my Psychology of Personality course. My GPA is still right at 3.6, but I’m working hard to try and boost that up to a 3.8 before applying to grad. school over the next few weeks.
I’ve been working hard trying to complete all of my requirements (on the side) for the Society of Leadership and Success, and I’m 3 small projects away from being fully inducted. Afterwards, I’ll be able to take advantage of most of the Society’s scholarships. I’m racing against so many deadlines! I’ll be graduating in May, so I’m continually racing against this merciless clock- and the world seems to be spinning so fast. The days are just flying by.
I’m so busy that I haven’t been able to go out on a proper photo shoot, except for the picnic at Spring Mill Park last weekend that Josh and I were able to take with Brianna. She’s been staying with us for the past week and I’ve been so happy to have my little girl back, if even for a few days. Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences is going remarkably well; I can’t believe I have an A in the class still. On that note, I can’t believe I’m still making the Dean’s List so far this semester. I’m almost at the halfway point: I just have to keep hanging in there. I nabbed a shot of a few (mock) soldiers out at the Pioneer Village on Saturday; it would have been better if the modern-day cars weren’t included in the shot, but I don’t have time to clone them out right now. Still, it’s a cool shot. And that super furry dude isn’t Wild Bill Hickok, it’s Josh, with his winter beard that I love.
The last of the snow- taken last week

Josh, overlooking the Ohio River at a restaurant called “The Overlook”

View of the Ohio River at the Overlook

Spring Mill Park/Lensbaby Composer/ f/5.6- manual- Feb. 20- Pioneers

Note to self: clone out those cars!

Josh and Brianna on our picnic

Josh, in the Weaver’s House- Pioneer Village

One of my favourite pics of Josh ever- love that BG.

Taking Flight
Taken yesterday. Lensbaby Composer f/4.

The obligatory selfie/taken yesterday/Lensbaby Composer

Ceviche for Two
So I set out to treat Josh like a king this weekend. 🙂 He’s been working long, hard hours lately and has been dealing with some back pain. Last night I lit some sandalwood incense (my favourite), put on some soft, pan flute and guitar music over background ocean waves, and gave him a deep, gingered-up back and foot massage. He sailed off to sweet, blissful sleep after serving him the best homemade ceviche we’ve ever had:

Ladies, this is how to keep your man HAPPY, believe me.
My personal Recipe:
1 lb of thawed jumbo shrimp (shells and tail still on)
1 lb of thawed talapia
1/2 of a large red onion
2 whole cubed avocados
1 large bunch of cilantro
1 large cucumber (peeled)
2 medium tomatoes
1 & 1/2 (or so) cups of bottled real lime juice from concentrate + 6 whole limes
pinch of sea salt
Sriracha sauce (it’s a must)
1 bag of yellow, blue, or white corn tortilla chips
This dish comes with a warning: Your man WILL try to devour you after eating this. It really is that good and it really does make him that happy. 😉
Directions:
Before you start with the seafood, juice the 6 limes and mix that with the bottled lime juice. Have that close by in a bowl or storage container. You can use fresh, whole limes only, but of course that will take much longer. The bottled lime juice is perfectly sufficient for this ceviche. (I like to include at least 6 limes so it gives it that extra pop of freshness.)
On to the shrimp!
It’s alright to use frozen fish and shrimp- just not precooked. I prefer to use shrimp that still have their tails and shells on, because they’re often fresher (even if frozen) and juicier. Technically, anything with their shells still on or their bones still in will be fresher than if not. You will need to devein the shrimp, however; but that’s fairly easy. You’ll just need to cut a long, vertical line down the back of the shrimp after removing its shell entirely, and then open it up a bit and remove the very small, long vein that runs lengthwise throughout its body.
It’ll be important to place each shrimp into a semi-large container (I use Tupperware) after deshelling it so it won’t dry out and also, to keep it as fresh as possible. Deshelling shrimp can be a slow process.
After you’ve finished with the shrimp, you’ll need to cube them in pieces the size of a nickel- or thereabouts. Next, you’ll need to cube the tilapias the same size as well.
I use Tupperware so that I can easily put a lid on it and place it in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours. Some recipes call for 30 minutes, some for 4 hours. It really depends on your ingredients and the quantity, etc. For this particular batch of ceviche, I go with 2 hours. You’re looking for the seafood to take on an opaque colour. The acids in the lime juice “cook” the fish and shrimp. After it’s finished, it’s so delicious and juicy and tender. It really is the perfect dish and makes a divine Sunday brunch in bed- such as today. 🙂
After the seafood is finished bathing in its “tiger’s milk” as its called, you’re ready to add the other ingredients. Chop up the (peeled) cucumber, tomatoes, cilantro (leaves only), avocados, halved red onion, and the pinch of sea salt and mix it into the dish of seafood. Stir it gently until well mixed and top with sriracha. Best served with yellow, blue, or white corn tortilla chips and DIG IN.
Because this dish is so healthy, you can eat tons of the stuff. The going price for a large serving of ceviche-for-one in a restaurant is $20.
This recipe serves 4-6 people and is equal to $50 worth of restaurant ceviche. The total price for all of the ingredients is $25, so that’s a saving of 50%. Not too bad. 🙂
Josh and I are little piggies so we ate it all ourselves. (It goes fast.) I’m off to make our fennel tea with organic, raw honey.
Bon appetit!
Happy New Year!
The first post of the year. 🙂
I can hardly believe I’ve had this blog for four years now:

I originally came here because I’d seen another photographer with a “Last Day of the Year” post and she’d had a gazillion pics up for that whole year’s compilation and wanted to do the same. Somehow, I’ve morphed from being “just a photographer/artist” to being almost nothing but a full-time psych student. I set out to make my blog mostly photo and art stuff, but I’m a mouthy dame with a lot to say and needed an outlet: this was perfect.
The first handful of years I’d posted mostly personal things; lots of informative posts and migraine-related stuff; family stuff, etc. But after so many postings, I’ve sort of grown a bit protective of my privacy, seeing how I’ve discovered several “overly-enthusiastic” followers (stalkers) who watch my every move, which has become…a bit more than unsettling. I don’t have a Facebook page, and I’m certain that if I did, they’d be hunting me down on there.
One of my most devoted followers (stalkers) resides in California and owns an art site. He’s been shadowing me for years now and is more than a bit obsessed with me, so say his own attorneys! It’s a bit creepy.
Alas, he’s not the first, and I’m sure he won’t be the last. In all of this, my blog has become little more than an update on my progress with school, as my children are all grown and I feel very protective of them as well. Josh and I are still together- 10 years strong!- and I’m equally (if not more) protective of him too.
So really, there’s not much to report, apart from my grades and the occasional batch of pictures from my rare outings. Once my final undergrad. semester begins (in just over a week) I’ll be virtually MIA and will be devoted to only school. I’ll still keep my blog, of course, but will use it mostly for a base for my academic progress as I continue on in this life-changing journey.
I’m determined to become a prison psychologist. I can’t explain it! I feel the winds of destiny blowing gently on my face and I believe when you know you’re calling, you have a responsibility to fulfill it. Your steps toward that place depend not only on your own life, but the lives of those who you will touch along the way. In that altruistic way, I can look forward to my future with great love and excitement, knowing I’ll be making necessary changes in the world for the better.
But today, I’ll start with myself. 🙂
Josh and I are off to explore some flea markets. I’m picking up a 40 in. flat screen TV for his (belated) Christmas present. (We’re serious gamers around here.)
I hope 2016 brings loads of laughter, cheer, good-will, love, and purpose to everyone who reads this. May you always shine your light, bright and clear. x
One Semester to Go
I’m pretty excited that I only have one semester remaining before obtaining my bachelor’s degree in psychology. I’m almost there!
Here are just a few of the obstacles I’ve overcome since my academic journey began 5 years ago:
- Dropped out due to chest pains and stress- 2010
- Asked for $1,200 school debt to be forgiven so I could return (It was.)
- Had a breakdown and had to temporarily withdraw 2011
- House’s foundation crumbled/flooded due to freak thunderstorm/flood- causing my children and I to be homeless- 2012
- Car accident which caused me to have to drop 1/2 my classes- 2013
- Filed appeal to have balance deferred so I could complete AA degree
- Filed (full) refund appeal for math course-2014 (won the appeal)
- Filed another appeal to have 6 classes (erroneously added) removed from remaining course load (won the appeal)
It’s definitely been an uphill battle, and what should have taken me many more years to complete, I was able to complete in just 3 years. (Associates degree in Behavioral Sciences and a CPC/Certification in Substance Abuse.)
I’ve worked so hard and have fought through hell and back to be able to get to this point- relentlessly– and can finally see the finish line just ahead. My final semester begins in two weeks; and my last 5 courses are:
- Marine Biology (Bio. elective)
- Psychology of Personality (Psych)
- Sensation and Perception (Psych)
- Senior Seminar/Capstone Project
- And that damn Statistics class
After I graduate in May (2016), I’ll have the summer off before beginning my Master’s in Forensic Psychology. Things are looking pretty good. 🙂 I received all A’s last semester so this next semester, it will be extremely important to make mostly A’s as well so that I can get into my Master’s program.
The years are flying by! Another year is gone. This year was the hardest year of my life. I have no doubt that 2016 will be a much better year on many levels.
I’m coming for you Bipolar Barbie-Q!
Early edit from 2009, from my Photoshopping days (friend’s daughter)

Divided States of America
I remember when I was in the 4th grade; my teacher, Mrs. Ledford, would read from the Bible (KJV/ King James Version) out loud, every day. I didn’t go to a private Christian school; this was the public school system back in the ’70’s. She would read to the classroom- out loud- one chapter a day from the Bible. It was part of our daily learning, and it was not uncommon at the time.
Before we ate our daily lunches in the cafeteria, our teachers would instruct us to bow our heads at the table as we all joined together to pray over our food. Back then, the Iranian hostage crisis was still gaining momentum, and so we all wore cloths tied around our arms in support of our American hostages that were being held, and sometimes beaten, daily. I was too young to really understand the situation much; but I wasn’t unfamiliar with prayer- having been raised in a Pentecostal family. Prayer was, and still is, a very important part of my life. We stood with our hands over our hearts in the auditorium, pledging allegiance to our flag- and our country. I had a reason to feel proud of my country back then. Now, I’m filled with shame and disgust that our country has virtually banned God (and Jesus) from the classroom. I’m no longer proud of my country.
At W.R. Castle Elementary school, in Johnson County Kentucky, students are participating in the traditional “A Charlie Brown Christmas” play. What makes this particular Christmas program so important and so special, is that its creator, Charles Schultz, realized that few programs during the time of its creation were focusing on what Christmas is truly about- the miraculous birth and celebration of Jesus Christ- the Son of God.
Mr. Schultz stated that he purposely included a passage from the Bible that explains just exactly what Christmas is really about. Not Santa Claus. Not toys. Not the commercialism and hubbub of what it’s become over the years- but rather, the moving Christmas story that accompanies Jesus’ Holy birth at the manger, among lowly farm animals, and the 3 Magi who were guided to the manger by following the bright star in the night sky.
The telling of this story has been a Christmas tradition for many years and I remember my teachers telling this story to me every year in my classrooms at school. There was a feeling of charity and warmth in the air as we all learned about Jesus’ birth, as several teachers discussed the precious oils (Frankincense and Myrrh) and other gifts that the Magi/Wise men brought with them to give to Jesus.
Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the ever-driven “politically correct” God-banners are having none of this. They petitioned the school board at W.R. Castle Elementary school and are fighting to have the Bible passages- and all references pertaining to Jesus– removed from this Christmas play.
FYI, to whom it may concern, Jesus isn’t merely part of a Christmas story– Jesus IS the Christmas story. In the Charlie Brown Christmas story, Linus explains the meaning of Christmas to Charlie Brown, who is under the impression that Christmas is about a tree and other synonymous symbols. Charles Schultz went on to create this necessary and important conversation between Linus and Charlie Brown:
Charlie Brown: “I guess you were right, Linus. I shouldn’t have picked this little tree. Everything I do turns into a disaster. I guess I really don’t know what Christmas is all about. Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?”
Linus: “Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about.”
(Linus) Taken from the Bible/Luke 8: 2-14: “And there were (in the same country) shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, “Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Linus: “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”
I can understand disallowing students (or school officials) from forcefully pushing an agenda onto other students–who may not be interested in that agenda–but this is not the case. We’re talking about elementary school children who have a right to learn about the birth of Jesus Christ in an educational and historical context. They have a right to know and learn this information!
Since when did it become “o.k.” to alter historical content in such a way? It is altogether evil to ban “the story of Jesus’ birth”- from a Christmas play during Christmas time.
We’ve reached a new low in this country.
Taken from an interview with Charlie Brown creator, Charles. M. Schultz:
I agree, Mr. Schultz.
Are you Addicted to your Own Chaos?
Lying here in the muted candle light, the sound of Josh writing a song on our electric stage piano has a tranquil, sedating effect. I feel mildly euphoric, despite having a wicked migraine. It’s noteworthy to add that I haven’t had a migraine in many weeks. I became my own lab rat when I experimented with a variety of medicinal, herbal, natural pain modifiers and thankfully, discovered something that worked for me. It’s such an effective medicine, that it not only eliminated my 3 day migraines altogether, but doubled as natural Adderall; increasing my ability to focus and concentrate by more than 60%. As a result, my grades shot up and I became an honor roll student virtually overnight. And, as a result of the medicine, I’ve been able to eliminate my doctor visits 100%. No need for pharmaceutical pain medication, no need for nerve pills, no need for Ambien to help me sleep. It’s been my panacea and it works. (Unfortunately, I’ve been without that medicine for 3 weeks now.)
I realize finding a cure-all on this level is slim to none. Even doctors and therapists are unable to “fix” people for the most part. Why else do people continue seeing a therapist after 20 years and so on? You’d think that there’d be nothing left to discuss. Ahh…but what they don’t and won’t tell you, is that they will help you to perpetuate your own disorder; it’s called job security.
You would think that I, of all people– a psychologist-in-training– would be hesitant to talk openly about this seldom-disclosed medical deception, but I’m not. Because it’s disgusting how Big Pharma and (many) doctors and therapists are all in bed together, and they work incessantly to keep people sick- year after year- and benefit from it.
Disclaimer: there are people who genuinely need therapy and benefit from it, and absolutely should continue on with it and take the proper medications. I’m not talking about those people.
I’m talking more about people that really don’t need medication or therapy at all…like children who are excitable, and are simply being children. They wiggle in their seats with anticipation and raw energy. But do you know what the teachers are doing in most all schools now? They’re being conditioned and programmed–like militants–to report ANY children who exhibit signs of “excitability”, and they’re mandated to report these “excitable children” to school officials, CPS workers, CASA workers (who are merely average Joes and Janes who volunteer to work with children, despite their lack of any kind of training whatsoever- scary), and a plethora of other workers.
What happens next is nothing short of societal rape. They then tell the parents that their child needs to be medicated, because he or she is exhibiting signs of ADHD- which is a “catch-all disorder” for a child simply being a child! Big Pharma has created this disorder in the last 20 years or so, and has pimped it out to society at large, and the whole world has swallowed it up- tail and all- because they’re told it’s true.
This is scary crap. For real.
School teachers- who have absolutely no psychological training whatsoever, are reporting children to case workers, who then report those children to “other officials”- who in turn, report them to CPS- the baby snatchers and the family destroyers. Why? Why would they do such a thing?
I’ll tell you why. Because every child in the public school system who is put on some type of behavioral disorder medicine receives bonus money for that school. For every kid that’s diagnosed–by a freakin’ teacher–and reported- the school’s bankroll gets fatter. And now that school district has a sweet chunk o’ change rolling in, no matter where that kid goes (as long as he’s medicated and the “problem” persists- and oh believe me, it will) and that kid becomes a “lifer” most of the time. Meaning, that child will be told it needs medicine year after year, for many years, and sometimes it lasts for the rest of their lives. Because after 10- 20 years of pharmaceutical medications, a host of side effects and other disorders have now been created (and are real), because of that one prescribed medication during the child’s most formidable, impressionable years.
Look it up. Knowledge is power, they say. Kids are being altogether destroyed at an alarming rate in the U.S. and parents are frightened into obeying, because they’e told that their child has “a disorder”. They’re threatened if they don’t take their kid to a therapist and worse, they’e threatened if they refuse to medicate their child.
This is a sick, twisted business. It’s absolutely horrific and yet it continues on, year after year.
I watched this documentary called The Drugging of Our Children and it blew my head off. Seriously. It scared the crap out of me. I could not believe that our system is that perverted. Well, yes I can, but don’t get me started on that.
Alas. I really didn’t want to rant on about all of that. This is just free association.
I really wanted to write about something else entirely. My migraine, and pain in general. I’ve noticed that when I’m in extreme pain, especially for 72 hours relentlessly, that any little comfort feels reeeeeeeeeally good. Way better than normal. Take for example, stretching my muscles. By nature, I really can’t stand to work out. It’s boring and repetitive and sort of pointless to me. I can think of many fun ways to get exercise, rather than spin around on a wheel like a sad hamster.
But a few moments ago, I noticed that when I stretched my leg muscle, it felt incredibly good. More so than if I didn’t have a migraine and it got me thinking: What’s the correlation between pain and good feelings? Is it possible that pain actually releases endorphins?
And then I found this article that stated that not only pain releases feely-good endorphins, but so does stress. Hold on- let that sink in a minute.
Stress (chaos, worry, contention, strife, bad traffic, an ugly altercation, hard donuts, etc.) releases endorphins. A while back, I wrote a post about a theory that I posited, called The Chaos Theory. There’s already a chaos theory in math, but not in psychology. Well, now there is. 🙂
My theory is this: In childhood and adolescence, some of us are thrown into derision and pain, or, chaos, and not unlike adaptation, we get used to crazy crap happening to us all of the time. (Sorry, I get tired of writing academic research sometimes and my rebellion is being able to dumb it down- teetering dangerously on the edge of slang.) In short, if the chaos ceases for any length of time outside of what we’re familiar with, we’ll create our own chaos, because then, at least we know what to expect.
In this way, we condone and accept self-induced chaos more readily than foreign peace.
Heavy words, but not untrue. As with anything else, each person’s experience will vary, and this hypothetical scenario is individuated and subjective. In other words, it’s not the same for everybody.
In the article I pointed out up there, it states that our stress and pain activate our opioid receptors; very much like drugs do. However, it stated that we do not become addicted to pain and stress as we would with drugs.
I beg to differ.
And I bring your attention back to my Chaos Theory. I believe some of us seek out chaos, not because we like it, but because we’re trying to alter our brain chemistry. Stress produces endorphins! When we experience prolonged stress, our brain dispatches the EMT/ambulance (little neurotransmitters- endorphins) to patch up the damage. This is likened to taking a hit off of an opium pipe. Not enough to knock you down, no, and maybe not enough to even notice- on a conscious level.
But what’s happening behind the scenes is that as the stress is increasing, and the sympathetic nervous system throws the body into “fight or flight” mode, our endorphins are being pumped out from the pituitary gland and are circulated throughout the body via the bloodstream, certain neural pathways in our brain are being rewarded with those feely-good hormones. It’s very much like biological classical conditioning.
This is bad though, because it teaches the person that “heightened stress” is rewarded.
[Another “let that sink in” moment.]
In this way, we absolutely can, and sometimes do become addicted to stress, and our own chaos- because it’s what we’ve learned to do in order to “fix ourselves”- not unlike a junkie.
I’d like to conduct a few research studies in the future in this area. But for now, I’m going to get my own fix; listening to Josh play and sing, as I lay here in the candle’s warm glow with the smell of pumpkin spice filling up the room sweetly.
Interestingly enough, my migraine has dissipated almost entirely.




